Android Phone Fans |
- Tips & Tricks: Here’s a Quick List of a Few Jelly Bean Emoji’s
- Google and Apple CEO’s Reportedly Engaging In Over-The-Phone Patent Talks
- Evernote Update Adds Expanded Notifications For Jelly Bean Users, Improved Performance for Everyone Else
- Samsung threatens to sue Apple if next iPhone has LTE
- Football Pickem 2012: New App, New Site, Still $7,000+ in Prizes
- Sony Tablet P will not be receiving Jelly Bean, but you probably already figured that out
- Pantech Magnus pictured for AT&T
- Pocket Legends Double XP available until September 1st
- Rumor: Samsung’s plan with Windows is to reduce dependency on Android
- HBO Go gets small update in the Google Play Store
- Personalized app recommendations come to the Google Play Store
- Celebrate National Toasted Marshmallow Day With This Unique Wallpaper from Android Foundry
- DROID RAZR M hands-on posted ahead of official debut
- Is This Amazon’s Next Kindle Fire?
- Newly announced Sony Xperia J gets cracked open by the FCC
| Tips & Tricks: Here’s a Quick List of a Few Jelly Bean Emoji’s Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:04 PM PDT
I received a request to share some of the emoji’s now supported in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, so I thought I’d share with everyone. This is by no means a comprehensive list (you can see from the above image, I’m missing a few), but they could be helpful for those feeling left out of the emoji scene. Enjoy. Up ↑ Down ↓ Left ← Right → Star ★ Smile ☺ Voltage ⚡ Warning ⚠ Victory ✌ Wheelchair ♿ Five-eighths ⅝ Seven-eighths ⅞ Liter ℓ Soccer ⚽ Woman ♀ Man ♂ Telephone ☎ Phone ✆ Flat ♭ Sharp ♯ Note ♩ Multiplication ❌ Plus ➕ Minus ➖ Divide ➗ A few more words to try out (but missing a preview): snowflake
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| Google and Apple CEO’s Reportedly Engaging In Over-The-Phone Patent Talks Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:27 PM PDT
According to an exclusive report from Reuters, Google CEO Larry Page and Apple CEO Time Cook have been chumming it up, engaging in behind-the-scenes talks over each of their company’s intellectual properties. It wouldn’t be the worse idea we’ve heard and sure, we’d like to see Google rise up off the ground like a sleeping giant, crushing Apple with patent violations and injunction rulings, but offensive legal action isn’t typically how Good Guy Google plays ball. Apparently, the two megacorps are simply keeping the lines of communication open, despite Apple’s trial win against Samsung last week over trade dress and design patents. It was said both CEO’s have spoken over the phone with future phone meetings scheduled for a later time. But it’s not just the chief executive officers, discussions are also being conducted by lower-level officials as well. So what exactly is being discussed? Well, that can only be speculated. But in my mind’s eye I can see Larry Page making the first move, calling up Tim on his direct line, asking if there’s some kind of mutual middle ground that can be reached. Tim would respond with an astronomical number pulled out of thin air and perhaps that’s when the convo ended. It’s been suggested Google should simply do what they can to quell Apple and get back to doing what they do best — innovating. I’d be inclined to agree but still, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about trolls from my short time writing on Android blog, it’s that sometimes they can’t be appeased… and a swift ban-hammer is the only way to deal with the situation.
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| Posted: 30 Aug 2012 05:31 PM PDT
You gotta give it to the Evernote development team, they’re constantly refining their Android application, providing consistent updates every few weeks or so in the Play Store. Well, they’re at it once again, this time around adding new enhancements for the few us running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with all new expanded notifications. Once a note is saved, a notification will appear where the user can further share or edit their recently modified/saved note. They’ve also added a few goodies for ICS users and below by way of performance improvements.
As my personal favorite Android app for keeping my notes organized and synced in the cloud, I recommend everyone give Evernote a try if you haven’t already. You guys can download the updated Evernote right now from the Google Play Store.
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| Samsung threatens to sue Apple if next iPhone has LTE Posted: 30 Aug 2012 03:59 PM PDT Well how’s this for a comeback? After being informed that they would have to pony up $1.05 billion for infringing on design and utility patents owned by Apple, Samsung has threatened to use a very important piece of firepower at some point down the line. Korea Times is reporting that Samsung is ready to sue Apple if the next iPhone has 4G LTE. Samsung enjoys an extensive patent portfolio pertaining to LTE technology, and they reportedly own 10% of all LTE patents currently floating around. Apple has shown a key interest in LTE with the advent of the iPad 3. Because of its arrival inside the latest iPad the tech industry fully expects Apple to follow suit with the next iPhone.
“But why are they waiting for the iPhone if the iPad is out there right now,” you ask. Well, for one, waiting for the first LTE iPhone is probably the best strategic move Samsung can make. The iPhone makes up a lot more of Apple’s mobile sales than the iPad, and Samsung likely wants to land the biggest blow they can. This is a very interesting development to behold, and it’ll be interesting to see if these supposed threats will change Apple’s mind about using LTE in the next iPhone. But even with the patents to back them up, Samsung could be subject to FRAND rules because of LTE being a standard. Should the next iPhone launch with LTE and should Samsung decide to sue, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to get a victory of the same magnitude. I’m no patent expert, though, so I’m just going to grab some movie popcorn and watch this one unfold. [Korea Times]
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| Football Pickem 2012: New App, New Site, Still $7,000+ in Prizes Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:56 PM PDT Are you ready for some football? With the regular season starting in less than a week, FootballBeast.com has just completely revamped their website AND their Android App, revealing what I think is the most polished Football Pickem app for Android. Along with the brand-spanking new companion website and forums, this is a must download app for football fans.
Don’t worry: your non-Android wielding friends can play too. They just need to sign up for an account (it’s free) and make their picks online each week. We strongly recommend signing up with Facebook, not only due to the quick and easy process, but they’ll also be adding features to let you compare your record, rank, and stats with those of your friends playing Pickem. Here’s a quick roundup of need-to-knows:
And now for our beloved Android. The Android app was rebuilt from the ground up and completely follows ICS design guidelines. In fact, it was modeled after Football Schedule 2012 which has already accumulated 35,000+ downloads and a 4.5 star rating in a very short time on the market. Take that simple “schedule” concept, integrate a bad ass Pickem engine and leaderboard, and guess what you’ve got? Football Pickem 2012… we think it’s destined for success.
When you initially signup you’ll be taken to the My Picks page, situated as the center of three screens. At any given time the My Picks page will show you the picks you’re currently able to make. You can’t skip ahead… you can only make picks for the current week. Simply tap on the team icon to make your selection and don’t be nervous: you can change your pick any time prior to kick off. After picking/changing, don’t forget to hit save or cancel in the action bar. As the week progresses, the My Picks page should update the matchups with live scores. If you’re interested in seeing historical scores for weeks past or curious about a future matchup, simply swipe to the left and you’ve got a complete season schedule. Want to know how you’re performing against the competition? Swipe to the right for a complete leaderboard. It really couldn’t be easier. In a competition like Football Pickem the WORST thing is accidentally forgetting to make picks. We’ve somewhat alleviated that problem by naming weekly winners, so if you forget to play one week you still have a chance to win it all. Nevertheless, we’ll also be implementing non-intrusive status bar notifications to remind you to make picks if you haven’t yet made them. Of course, if you want to turn them off, you’ll be able to adjust these settings by tapping the option in the action bar.
The app and the website are in complete sync, so if you change your picks in one place, they’ll be updated everywhere. Whether you’re at home on the couch or headed out the door for football festivities, the website and app combo gives Android players an edge on those last minute decisions.
One more thing: give it a 5-star reviews on Android Market if you think the app has earned it. If not, give the FBB team the opportunity to earn 5-stars, by letting them know how they can improve. E-mail support (at) footballbeast (dot) com
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| Sony Tablet P will not be receiving Jelly Bean, but you probably already figured that out Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:55 PM PDT More OTA news has come out of IFA Berlin. This time, Sony had to field questions regarding the Xperia line of tablets. While the Tablet S will be on the roadmap for Jelly Bean sometime down the line, Sony has reportedly admitted that the lack of sales and developer interest for the Tablet P has gotten itself removed from the radar.
The Tablet P is a unique device in that it has dual displays, and while such a form factor seems cool there just doesn’t seem to be a large market for it. In turn, developer support has been extremely thin, and the extent of Sony’s dual-screen application portfolio has been mostly first party. As interesting a tablet as it was, I think we can all admit that this was a mistake on Sony’s part. The world also didn’t respond well to the Kyocera Echo, a Sprint phone that featured a dual-screen form factor, but wasn’t quite the same clam-shell offering that the Tablet P is. Sony’s throwing that idea out, and for the time being they won’t be going much further than the traditional slate form factor we all know and love. [via Tablet Guide]
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| Pantech Magnus pictured for AT&T Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:06 PM PDT It seems AT&T and Pantech are coming to town with a decent-looking device that’ll sport 4G LTE radios. They’re calling it the Pantech Magnus, and it’s supposed to be running Qualcomm’s MSM8960 S4 that features Adreno 225 for a GPU and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor.
It also features a front-facing camera, an 8 megapixel rear camera with flash, and supposedly a 720 display. With such a high resolution we can’t imagine this thing will have anything less than a 4.3 inch display, though there’s nothing to suggest the exact size. While it’ll be tough for Pantech to make a name for itself up against devices like the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S3, it looks like it won’t be shy in rivaling the best AT&T has to offer in terms of sheer power. [Engadget]
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| Pocket Legends Double XP available until September 1st Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:18 PM PDT Those who need a little extra boost in Pocket Legends will be glad to hear that Spacetime has announced double XP through September 1st. From now until then, everything that you earn XP for will be doubled.
In case you need it in time form, say it normally takes one hour to get to the next level. With double XP, it’d be more like half an hour. Gamers should already know how this works, though, so I won’t do much explaining. The Google Play Store app doesn’t need updating for this change, but if you’re a new player and you’ve been looking to download this game, now is as good a time as any to get up to speed with the rest of the grinders already playing. Find it here. [Spacetime]
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| Rumor: Samsung’s plan with Windows is to reduce dependency on Android Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:57 PM PDT It’s no secret Samsung has had a rough year in the courtrooms. With a ton of battles to endure against Apple Samsung’s headaches strengthened after a recent ruling that initially saw Samsung owing $1.05 billion to Apple for patent infringement. While that battle is nowhere near finished (we expect a full round of appeals and other legal processes to commence), it seems Samsung’s strategy with their new ATIV line stems from more than just a desire to get into the Windows space.
Speaking with unnamed sources, Korea Times and WMPU has heard that Samsung’s goal is to lessen dependency on Android. Bada isn’t doing it for Samsung in the mobile space, and as a user even I can see that it’s not smart for a company to put all its eggs into the same basket. Samsung hasn’t been this aggressive with their attempts to diversify their mobile computing portfolio, though, and we suspect their newfound urgency has been brewed by the aforementioned legal trouble they’ve found themselves in. But that doesn’t mean they’re trying to get away from Android — that just means they’re not willing to risk their place in the ranks of the mobile world should everything come crashing down on their heads. [via WinSource]
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| HBO Go gets small update in the Google Play Store Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:37 PM PDT HBO Go has received an upgrade in the Google Play Store, today. At first glance the only thing we are told is new are some bug fixes and general enhancements.
While that barely merits attention, Droid-Life has reason to believe the update also brings support for devices running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, though the Google Play Store is still saying devices beyond 4.0.3 aren’t supported. App-level support seems to be well in-tact, however, as a user has reportedly successfully installed and used the application on their Jelly Bean device. Perhaps HBO meant to flip the switch in their manifest, but we can’t say for sure. Let’s hope they get things going soon if they really did mean to enable Jelly Bean support. [Google Play Store]
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| Personalized app recommendations come to the Google Play Store Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:13 PM PDT App discovery has long been an area of interest in the world of mobile apps, and it looks like Google is looking to make it even better in the Google Play Store. Google started doing a bit of personal app recommendations a while ago on the web version of the Google Play Store, and that functionality has finally come to the Play Store app on devices.
While we can’t be too sure of its algorithm, we imagine Google uses things like the apps you search for, download, and install to find similar apps that might interest you. You can even let Google know if something doesn’t interest you in order to further tailor the Play Store’s suggestions. If you’re interested in seeing what Google has recommended for you be sure to find the new section under Apps > Featured. [thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
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| Celebrate National Toasted Marshmallow Day With This Unique Wallpaper from Android Foundry Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:31 AM PDT
We could all use a few more amazing Android wallpapers on our devices and when it comes to the designs of Andrew Bell — he makes some of the best in the biz. You may remember his work for designing that first round of Android collectibles the world went crazy over. His newest project is the Android Foundry, a site he started to display his latest Android creations (you may remember those Android ice cube trays we told you guys about awhile back — yeah, that was them).
Click for full size Other than actual products, the Android Foundry has a nice assortment of wallpapers designed by Mr. Bell himself, that show off our beloved Android in a variety of scenarios. Everything from the Bug Droid lazying about in the sun, to a Madonna clad Andy dancing on stage — there’s a little something for everyone. The latest is the above marshmallow Andy on a stick, in celebration of National Toasted Marshmallow Day (yup, it’s a real day). Cute and a little bit morbid, you can find more great works (in multiple sizes) from Andrew Bell by hitting up the source link below.
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| DROID RAZR M hands-on posted ahead of official debut Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:22 AM PDT While Motorola and Verizon aren’t set to reveal their next crop of devices until September 5th, one of the devices said to be shown off that day has fallen into the hands of a soul willing to give it some light hands-on treatment.
The only information that could be extracted from the brains of this lucky soul was that the S4 processor made the device really snappy, and its efficient power consumption alongside a lithium polymer battery made this thing last well into the night. The device looks like it could come in at the 4-4.3 inches range, but it’s hard to say without any side-by-side references. And if you didn’t think this thing would be coming with 4G LTE you probably haven’t been paying attention to Verizon’s device lineup as of late. But there are only a few short days until we see what this thing’s really got to show for itself, and we’ll be front and center to bring you all the latest. Keep it tuned here for all the latest, and be sure to discuss the hands-on over at the DROID M forums at AndroidForums.com. [via Engadget]
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| Is This Amazon’s Next Kindle Fire? Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:50 AM PDT
Seems Amazon is preparing Kindle Fire refresh and the boys at The Verge have gotten themselves first dibs on a purported leaked image of the device. Not much you can tell by looking at only the front of a device (they generally all look the same) and while we expect most of the upgrades will be found under the hood, we can’t help but notice the gawd-awful software keys along the right side of the device. Looks like we can expect, at the very least, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich running on the new Kindle Fire. Word is, Amazon will also launch their long-rumored 10-inch tablet along side their 7 incher but we wont have to wait much longer to find out. Amazon’s throwing a launch event for something next week and Phandroid will be on-hand to bring you the latest. What do you guys think? Should Google be worried?
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| Newly announced Sony Xperia J gets cracked open by the FCC Posted: 30 Aug 2012 09:23 AM PDT
While it isn’t always as pretty as the work done by the teardown and repair experts at iFixIt, from time to time the FCC will offer us a glimpse at the innards of a handset. Sometimes that handset is unreleased, like the newly announce Sony Xperia J. The Xperia J was part of Sony’s showing at their IFA press event yesterday and comes in as the budget option among a group that also included the Xperia T and Xperia V. The FCC filing doesn’t reveal much we didn’t already know, and, as Engadget astutely reports, doesn’t guarantee a US release. Still, if you have an interest in the inner design workings of a mobile device it’s worth checking out. [FCC]
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